The present invention pertains to a recovery device and procedure for storing a tubular sheath after it has been folded transversely. The invention consists, after the transverse folding of a continuous longitudinal sheath so as to obtain in the vertical plane a sheath with superimposed concentric annular folds, of fitting onto the folding machine a device for tilting in the essentially horizontal plane the folded sheath without perceptible destruction or deformation of the formed folds, in a manner, so as to facilitate its extraction.
French Patent 2,281,211 describes a machine that can effect the transverse folding of a continuous tubular sheath. According to the arrangement of this machine, the sheath, maintained open close to its end with a circular or oblong section, is immobilized at a point located at the selected height of the folds, then on this side of its end it is gripped at least two sites located symmetrically in relation to the virtual center of the open sheath and turned down on itself in a manner such that the sites where it is gripped are brought close to the end. This gripping is effected at a distance from the end equal to twice the desired final height of the fold. After this is done, the grip is released and then the gripping, folding back, release cycle is repeated as many times as is necessary in order to obtain the desired number of folds. The sheath is then divided into sections on top of the last fold. The segment of sheath folded on itself in multiple concentric layers which constitutes a packaging stock is removed from the device before the manufacture of a new segment.
The folding device and procedure taken up again in their principle in the present invention yield good results but, as will be seen below, present serious drawbacks with regard to the discharge of the folded sheath segment from the manufacturing device, especially when the sheath has a large diameter, e.g., greater than 1.20 meters.